Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Stochastic quantum interferometry with Fock states

F. De Martini, Paolo Mataloni, Giovanni Di Giuseppe, Fabrizio Altarelli

Published May 1, 2002• 2 citations

Abstract

We report the experimental realization of first- and second-order optical stochastic interferometry with single-photon Fock states and with a couple of photons generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion. The behavior of the constitutive element of the stochastic interferometer, the stochastic beam splitter, is theoretically described, both for first- and second-order interferometry. The theory predicts a reduction of the visibility from 1 to π/4 and to 1/2, respectively, for the two cases. These results are a direct consequence of the presence of Bose–Einstein correlations within the electromagnetic field. The visibility reduction obtained in the two experiments and their comparison with theoretical predictions are discussed in detail.

DOI: 10.1364/josab.19.001009

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